Who Doesn’t Like a Little Naam in Springtime?

Posted in Whathaveyou on February 24th, 2010 by JJ Koczan

Hard-hitting psychedelic fuzz mavens Naam are heading out on the road for the Spring, which, if you think about it, is a great time to do it. Everything’s blooming, everyone wants to get out and screw, beers are had, memories are made and repressed. Enjoyment all around. Dig this lofty PR wire update:

Brooklyn, NY heavy psych rock trio Naam has announced spring, 2010 US tour dates in support of its critically acclaimed, self-titled debut. The fast-rising buzz band will team up with heavy rockers Radio Moscow for a month long trek set to launch on March 31 in San Francisco, CA. The tour is expected to criss-cross the country and will run through early May.

When asked for comment on the just-announced tour, Naam bassist John Bundy exclaimed, “We can’t wait to hit the road and fuck shit up. Let’s do it.” Naam has also just announced multiple live appearances as part of the 2010 SXSW Music Festival, set for March 17-20 in Austin, TX.

NAAM tour dates:
February 28 Brooklyn, New York Pysch Fest @ Glasslands
March 13 Brooklyn, New York Music Hall of Williamsburg (w/ Priestess)
March 6 Brooklyn, New York Union Pool (w/ Liturgy)
March 17 Austin, Texas Mohawk (as part of the ACTION! PR SXSW Showcase w/ High on Fire, Priestess, Zoroaster, The Gates of Slumber, Mondo Drag and more)
March 18 Austin, Texas Emo’s (Full Metal Texas)
March 18 Austin, Texas Habana Calle 6 (as part of the Tee Pee Records SXSW Showcase
March 19 Austin, Texas Liberty Bar
March 20 Austin, Texas Red 7
March 21 Dallas, Texas The Double Wide (as part of Bro Fest 2010)

Naam / Radio Moscow US Tour:
March 31 San Francisco, California Elbo Room
April 1 Los Angeles, California Spaceland
April 3 Albuquerque, New Mexico Burt’s Tiki Lounge
April 5 Denton, Texas Rubber Gloves
April 6 Austin, Texas Emo’s
April 7 New Orleans, Louisiana Saturn Bar
April 8 Atlanta, Georgia Lenny’s Bar
April 9 Savannah, Georgia The Jinx
April 10 Charlotte, North Carolina Casbah @ Tremont Music Hall
April 11 Richmond, Virginia The Triple
April 12 Baltimore, Maryland Golden West
April 13 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania North Star Bar
April 14 New York, New York Cake Shop
April 16 Rochester, New York Bug Jar
April 17 Columbus, Ohio The Summit
April 18 Cleveland, Ohio Beachland Tavern
April 19 Newport, Kentucky Southgate House
April 20 Chicago, Illinois Double Door
April 21 St. Paul, Minnesota Turf Club
April 22 Ames, Iowa DG’s Tap House
April 24 Memphis, Tennessee Hi Tone Cafe
April 26 Lawrence, Kansas Replay Lounge
April 27 Denver, Colorado Larimer Lounge
April 28 Salt Lake City, Utah Club Vegas
April 30 Seattle, Washington Comet Tavern
May 1 Portland, Oregon East End
May 22 Brooklyn, New York NY Eye & Ear Festival

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Frydee Naam

Posted in Bootleg Theater, Whathaveyou on January 15th, 2010 by JJ Koczan

I’ve made a swift partial-weekend escape to Maryland for the next day or so, hopefully getting back north in time to catch either Pentagram in Philly or Mighty High, Sun Gods in Exile and The Brought Low in Brooklyn. The playlist that got me here was albums from Stone Axe, Wovenhand, Black Sabbath, Goblin Cock and Kyuss — I think in that order. Wasn’t really keeping track. Anyway, I’m currently out of the office, and by that I mean not sitting in front of my desktop, unshowered, in my pajamas.

I’m sitting at Panera, showered, in jeans. Quite the professional.

Anyway, popped out the ticker tape of the PR wire (which I always carry with me everywhere I go, despite its somewhat clunky portability) is news of this new Naam video for the song “Skyling Slip,” which like the new High on Fire track, was premiered via Stereogum. Kudos again to them, and to me as well for grabbing the embed code and posting it above.

In whatever state physical and otherwise you might find yourself, have a great weekend. If you’re in NYC, Naam are doing an in-store at my favorite CD shop, Generation Records, on Sunday, Jan. 17. Nifty nifty.

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Naam’s Busy Week

Posted in Whathaveyou on December 7th, 2009 by JJ Koczan

Naam, whose self-titled Tee Pee debut remains one of the best hard psych records I’ve heard this year, are about to head out for a couple days with Priestess and Early Man. The PR wire has the info:

Is that the staircase at Europa? I think it might be... (Photo by Paul Birdman)Tee Pee Records labelmates Priestess and Naam will join forces for a handful of dates starting tomorrow, December 8th at 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis.

Priestess recently signed to Tee Pee Records and are scheduled to release Prior to the Fire on February 2nd. Naam dropped their self-titled debut on October 20th.

Tour Dates:
December 8th – 7th Street EntryMinneapolis, MN
December 9th – Empty BottleChicago, IL
December 11th – Mohawk PlaceBuffalo, NY
December 12th – The CharlestonBrooklyn, NY
All dates with Early Man

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I Did Not Watch My Buddies Die Face Down in the Muck So You Could Not Stream This New Naam Track

Posted in Whathaveyou on October 26th, 2009 by JJ Koczan

Burning candles. (Photo by Diane Suarez)Between the prior-posted streaming track, live review and interview, it ought to be pretty clear that Brooklyn trio Naam‘s self-titled debut is alright by me. Hence no disc review. I know it’s the intertubes, but there’s still such a thing as overkill (they’re from Jersey and they have 15 albums). Nonetheless, using the magic of streaming, Revolver has made available the song “Black Ice” from Naam, which I here present for your listening pleasure. Naam‘s self-titled debut is available now on Tee Pee Records.

Naam – Black Ice

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Live Review: Om, Six Organs of Admittance and Naam in Brooklyn, 10.11.09

Posted in Reviews on October 13th, 2009 by JJ Koczan

Six Organs of Admittance plus Andrew (Photo by Fernanda Correia)A short while after his set was over, I found Six Organs of Admittance?s Ben Chasny at the bar sitting next to the figure announced to the crowd as Andrew when he had taken the stage. ?This is my friend Andrew,? Chasny had said. Fair enough.

I had spent the better part of the Six Organs set cursing out, both inwardly and outwardly, the crowd surrounding, whose rude, self-important chatter had ruined the whole thing. Fucking hipsters. When I ran into Chasny at the bar — I?d gone looking for another beer — I told him how fucking ridiculous the asshole factor had been and how I?d seen his Naam (Photo by Fernanda Correia)Roadburn set and basically that Brooklyn could suck my balls. Already well liquored up, I?ve no delusions that it was received as eloquent.

Prior, about five minutes into the show, I had sent a text message to The Patient Mrs., who was having a sandwich and watching the playoffs at another bar down the street, that said I might have no recourse but to get plastered, such was the level of recession-proof pose out beardo hipster douchery surrounding. I?d arrived at Europa about 30 seconds into the recently interviewed Naam?s first song, and the crowd only got worse as the night wore on. Nothing to do but get drunk.

?Please don?t. We?re broke.? was the message I got back. Sorry baby.

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Naam Interview: There and Back Again

Posted in Features on October 9th, 2009 by JJ Koczan

Can you find the members of Naam in this picture? They're in there somewhere!Since I was fortunate enough earlier this year to experience the sprawl of Brooklyn heavy psych rockers Naam in the form of their Kingdom EP (Tee Pee Records), I’ve been looking forward to the prospect of a full-length outing. Manifesting in the form of Naam (also Tee Pee), the first LP effort from the trio takes the aesthetic presented on the EP and expands it in nearly every way except song length.

The tracks that comprise it, cut with periodic interludes, may not be as long — the reworked version of Kingdom‘s title track that opens the record notwithstanding — but Naam call upon a broad psych spectrum for their sound and make themselves at home with a vast, reaching, engulfing sound. With layer upon layer of extra aural attractions, they craft a filling sonic brew that, if you close your eyes at just the right moment, it’s possible to entirely lose yourself within.

To make the album, guitarist/vocalist Ryan Lugar, bassist/vocalist John Bundy and drummer Eli Pizzuto (who, believe it or not, with that name is not originally from Brooklyn) holed up in a cabin in the Catskills for 12 days and separated themselves from their urban environs and any external influences that might otherwise cause them to lose focus. In the phone interview after the jump, Pizzuto discusses the process and what it was like to get away from it all and have his concentration geared entirely on making Naam. Enjoy.

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The Village Voice Has a New Naam Song Posted

Posted in Whathaveyou on September 10th, 2009 by JJ Koczan

The Voice yesterday — specifically the Yes in My Backyard blog — put up the song “Skyling Slip” and also offered an exclusive glimpse of the cover to Brooklyn-based Naam‘s self-titled full-length debut, which is due out Oct. 20 on Tee Pee Records. And because it’s the internet, and just about everything on it is based on ripping off content one way or another, here are both. Caution, the song kind of rules:

Naam – Skyling Slip

Hey guys, space rock much?

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RECOVERED: Naam Complete Work on Debut Full-Length

Posted in Whathaveyou on August 21st, 2009 by JJ Koczan

Congratulations to Brooklyn‘s Naam, who according to the PR wire, have just finished their self-titled full-length debut. Here’s the story, complete with enough adjectival phrases to last you a week:

Brooklyn, NY, heavy psych rock band Naam has completed work In the field.on its debut album. The fast-rising buzz band will drop the self-titled Naam on October 20, 2009 via NYC?s Tee Pee Records.

The follow up to the group?s three-song mega-EP Kingdom, Naam was recorded on an abandoned dairy farm in New York‘s Catskill Mountains and delivers pitch-dark, utterly hypnotic songs that resurrect the concept of space-rock for a new era. Naam?s raw, feedback-powered sound pools densely distorted riff-o-rama with throbbing bass lines and echoey, buzzy vocals that seem to hang in the open spaces in between. Calling for comparison to The Stooges, MC5, Can, Loop and Hawkwind, the music of Naam conjures both post-apocalyptic dazzle and unsettling feeling via punishing, deeply penetrating repetition and twisted vapor trails of guitar. Naam pounds giant riffs into submission resulting in downered sub-blues melancholia that sounds like the soundtrack to a missing hallucination scene from Easy Rider. Naam?s high-voltage power and addictive sonance has found favor with both metalheads and psychedelic rock fans alike, all of whom have talked up the group?s thundering musical muscle.

The final track listing for Naam is as follows:
1.) Kingdom
2.) Stone Ton
3.) Skyling Slip
4.) Fever if Fire
5.) Tidal Barrens
6.) Icy Row
7.) Westered Wash
8.) Frosted Tread
9.) Windy Gates
10.) Black Ice

Naam features Ryan Lugar (guitars, vocals), John Bundy (bass, vocals) and Eli Pizzuto (drums, percussion).

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